Waste Your Time
by Gothic Ghost
Summary: Freddy-Summer.---When Freddy convinces Summer to tutor him, will he also be able to teach her something? And what will happen when he betrays her trust?
1. Chapter 1

Author Note: So, inspiration struck and I'm finally writing again

_**Author Note:**_ So, inspiration struck and I'm finally writing again. This is not a one-shot, but it is not too long either. I hope you enjoy! And, please, review!

_**Pairing:**_ Freddy-Summer

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own "School of Rock" or any of the characters.

_**Waste Your Time**_

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"Hello, Sum!" Freddy's cheerful voice came beside her.

"Hi, Jones," Summer replied, not even looking away from her locker, where something seemed to have disappeared. It was a Monday morning, she had had a horrible night, felt moody and irritable, and could not find her Psychology book, which she was going to need for her first period class. Such a lovely beginning of the week.

"So, how are you today?" Freddy inquired, playing with a drumstick in his hand.

She turned, giving up on the book, and stared at him for a second, a mistrustful curiosity in her eyes. "Fine." Her tone was half suspicious and half bored, with a shade of annoyance.

"Good!" He replied a little too enthusiastically, looking slightly nervous. "Great! It's nice to know yo-"

"What do you want, Jones?" She interrupted, slamming close her locker and striding across the hallway. She had no time for his games.

Freddy hurried to keep up with her pace. "Ok, listen. I am failing almost every subject-"

"Now, that's big news." Her voice was so heavy with sarcasm that Freddy almost considered telling her another day. But, after all, Summer was always annoyed when he was around. He took a deep breath and continued, "I know, but my parents make a big deal out of it. You know, all that 'they put money in my education, I should at least get a C'crap."

"I can't blame them," She replied sharply, keeping her marching pace.

Freddy caught up with her and turned to face her, walking backwards. "Yeah, well, the point is, they want me to get a tutor and-"

Summer stopped abruptly and Freddy almost stumbled on her. "No. No no no no no. I can see where this is going and no, I'm not going to do that."

"C'mon, Tink! I need your help."

"Forget it! And don't call me Tink. I'm not going to tutor you, no way!" Her tone was resolute and decided, but Freddy was not going to give up that easily.

"But why not?"

"Are you kidding me? You're a mess, Freddy, you would drive me crazy with your laziness and my own grades would sink. No, absolutely not." She turned into a classroom, sat at her front row desk and started writing in her notebook, hoping he would leave her alone. Freddy sat down to her right, determined not to desist until he had convinced her.

"Listen, I swear I won't be lazy or anything, but you need to help me," He said in a quieter tone.

"Nope," She said, shaking her head lightly. "I don't need to." Her pen kept dancing across the page, leaving behind a trail of her neat handwriting. Freddy put his own hand on hers, so that she would finally pay attention to him. She looked up, slightly startled by his gesture.

"Summer, please." His voice was low and sincere. For a moment she was lost in his deep blue eyes that seemed to show genuine concern about this whole issue.

"Don't you have a class to attend, Jones?" She said, trying to sound harsh, but her voice had lost all bitterness.

"Summer, they'll make me quit the band."

That effectively did it. As band manager, Summer knew how essential their drummer was and she couldn't let him quit because of his grades. Moreover, she couldn't let him quit if those grades depended on her. Freddy could see this passing through her mind in the moment of hesitation she had before accepting.

"Fine," She surrendered with a sigh.

"Thank you, Sum!" Freddy beamed at her and she couldn't help but smiling back a little.

"But," she added with a serious and professional voice, "We'll need to set some rules. First of all-"

"Not now, Tink, you wouldn't want me to be late for class, right? See you later!" He said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and surprising her again. He leaped up and hurried towards the door.

"Don't call me-" Too late, he was already gone. "-Tink…"

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	2. Chapter 2

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_**Author Note:**_ So, here's chapter two, which is better than chapter one, I promise! I tried to improve it according to the criticism I received, which was very useful. Thank you for letting me know what I need to change and what works. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I swear they get better as the story evolves.

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Ding-dong.

Summer stood waiting in front of Freddy's massive front door, tapping her hands on the spine of the notebook she was clutching close to her chest. She was slightly nervous, and more than a little annoyed. First of all, she could think of a million activities that would have been more productive than tutoring Freddy Jones. Impossible, irritating, ADD Freddy Jones. Secondly, she had been standing there for a good five minutes and the cold, damp weather was chilling her to the bones and making her even more gloomy.

She rang the doorbell again, in hope that Freddy would finally open. After another five minutes, during which she seriously considered turning on her heels and leaving, the door finally cracked open.

"Hey, Summer. How're you doing?" Freddy greeted her cheerfully. What he was so cheerful about was a real mystery.

"I've been freezing here for about fifteen minutes, thanks to you, Jones. What about you?" She replied sulkily. Thus far, she had hated every second of this tutoring session.

"I'm great." He beamed and Summer glared at him. "Come on in, I bet we need to get going with this study thing."

He led her through the huge front foyer with the marble staircase and the crystal chandelier, on to the gorgeous reception hall and a long mirrored corridor, finally arriving to a slightly smaller and much cozier room, where a blaze was burning in the antique fireplace. The room was warm and welcoming, with a long, dark wooden table surrounded by ten tall chairs, comfortable sofas and armchairs around the fireplace and wooden shelves covering the walls from floor to ceiling, hosting thousands and thousands, probably millions, of books.

"Welcome to our little library. We don't use it that much and I thought it might be the appropriate for our tutoring sessions," Freddy said, spying her reaction.

"Definitely…" Summer said, almost breathless. She felt that she already loved that room. She approached the nearest shelf and run her fingers on the spines of the books, tilting her head a little to read the titles. "You've never used it?" She asked without looking away.

"Not really. My granddad was very fond of this room and acquired many of the volumes you see. But my parents are always somewhere around the world and don't get a chance to be here much. I used to play in here sometimes when I was a little kid, you know, climb the ladders and slide them around, build forts with the furniture, but when I grew up it lost all its charm."

"I can't believe that. This is such an amazing place…" Summer replied, still mesmerized by all the books.

Freddy grinned at her. "I imagined you would like it."

Summer turned from the shelves and gave him a tentative smile. "I really do. Thanks."

Freddy beamed back at her and then walked toward the fireplace, making himself comfortable on the carpet. "So, shall we?"

Summer sat stiffly on the sofa in front of him, put her books aside and grabbed a notebook and a pen. "Ok, let's approach this with method. What subjects are you failing?"

"All of them." Summer looked up, stunned. "But music," he added.

She put her pen down, looking already defeated and tired of this. "Look, Freddy, I don't think I am the right person for this," She said apologetically.

"What do you mean?"

"I am sorry, but getting you to pass six subjects that you are currently failing is impossible. For me at least."

"I thought you would help," He stated. He did not sound disappointed or trying to make her feel guilty, he was just pointing out a fact.

"I know, I'm sorry but-"

"Listen. I know you think I'm a hopeless case, but you should know how much I care for the band. If this is what I need to do to keep playing, then fine, I'll do it. But I need your help." She still didn't seem convinced. "Summer, I cannot do this alone. I don't know where to begin, and honestly, I need somebody to keep me on track. Please." He smiled. "I can be one of your projects. Your masterpiece," He joked. "The entire world will look at my grades and say 'Look what Summer Hataway is capable of doing'! What do you say?"

Summer chuckled lightly shaking her head. "Just another project, eh?"

"Promise! And I'll do whatever you say. Deal?" He asked extending his right hand.

Summer considered for half a second and then shook his hand. "Deal," She said smiling. Freddy smiled back, letting go of her hand a moment too late, in which Summer felt slightly awkward. But it passed immediately and she regained her composure and professionalism.

"Well, let me set a couple of rules, then. First of all, I want you to stay focus and pay attention. Secondly, I need you to put all your efforts in this, ok? It's not going to be easy, but you are more brilliant than most people realize-"

"Thanks." Freddy chimed in, smirking.

"-and if you stop being lazy you can make it." She finished ignoring the interruption. "All clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" He agreed enthusiastically. "So, what should we start with?"

They made their study plan, which implied studying together five days a week plus extra hours in case of a quiz or a test. They went over each subject's syllabus, with Freddy pointing out the topics he didn't know anything about (most of them), those that he remembered vaguely (about a fifth) and those he felt quite confident in (a total of one). They set a timetable for each subject, writing down the topics he needed to review, and organized how they were going to spend the time during each tutoring session. Lastly, when Freddy pointed out that Summer needed some kind of compensation for what she had agreed to, she refused so vehemently that Freddy just had to give up.

"I'm doing it for the band," She said. They were in the foyer and she was ready to leave after the first, extenuating tutoring session.

"I know," He replied, rocking back and forth on his heels, looking at the floor.

"And because we're friends," She added.

"Really?" He stopped and gazed up at her.

"I guess so. Right?"

He beamed at her. "Absolutely."

She gave him a little but significant smile. "I should really get going now."

Freddy opened the door for her and stood aside. "Summer?" She turned to him and he embraced her for a brief moment. "Thank you," he whispered through her hair, and quickly let go. She was still astonished and barely managed to stutter "You are welcome" before leaving.

Freddy watched her go until she turned a corner and disappeared, a smile lingering on his face.

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_**Author Note: **_alright, there it is! Be kind and review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author Note:**_ So, here's is chapter 3! I've tried to work on the length, hope you enjoy. And review, please!

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"Once again."

"With feeling?" Summer glared at Freddy's joke. They really had no time for witticism that night: they had spent the previous two hours closed in the Jones' library studying waves, but Freddy still didn't seem to get it. Physics just wasn't his thing.

"Ok, ok, I know. No messing around, right?" He said, holding his hands up defensively. "But it doesn't make any sense to me. Why should I care about waves?"

"'Cause. You don't get to choose what topics to study, Freddy," Summer replied, annoyed. "So, what do you remember about waves?" She asked for the fifth time since they had started reviewing.

"They are energy?" Freddy asked tentatively and she nodded at him encouragingly. "And… there are two types, transversal and…And?"

"Longitudinal." She sighed.

"Right, longitudinal. Longitudinal," He repeated, trying to memorize. "Ah, the energy doesn't move but the particles do."

Summer leaned back in her chair and sighed again. "No." She was so exhausted she did not even have the strength to be irritated, resulting oddly patient. "It's the opposite. The particles stay still, but the energy moves. Waves are traveling energy, remember?"

"Hum, I guess so. But how can it travel without the particles? This stuff is just too abstract."

"I know." Summer agreed. He was actually right, physics often went unnoticed by the human eye. But to the human ear… "Sound!" She exclaimed, straightening on the armchair.

"What?" Freddy looked puzzled by her sudden burst of energy.

"Sound is a wave! Maybe that would make more sense for you. Get your drum set." She ordered, eager to find out whether her intuition was valid.

Freddy looked at her half skeptical and half amused. "I'm sorry?" He said with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, right." She rolled her eyes. "Let's go to the drum set," She corrected herself, looking at him for approval. As if it made any difference.

He chuckled at her expression and nodded. "Sure." He led the way to his room, where a polished black drum set was placed in its own corner. Freddy retrieved two drumsticks from the mess on one of the shelves and sat on the stool. "What shall I play?" He asked jokingly.

"A low pitched note."

He looked taken aback, not really expecting her to want him to play, but complied.

"Perfect. Listen, sound is a longitudinal wave," She started explaining, grabbing a chair and sitting next to him. "That means that when you hit one of the drums you create energy. The drum transfers that energy to a particle of air near it, and that particle pushes another particle, which pushes another one, which pushes another one and so on."

"Like a domino effect."

"Exactly!" She said, surprised that he finally understood. Had she known it was so easy, they wouldn't have wasted the whole evening reading the book and repeating. "Great! Now, remember the frequency?" she asked, leaning towards him a little as she got caught in the explanation.

"The number of waves in a sec?" He said uncertainly.

"Yeah, the number of waves that pass a given point in a second." Freddy stared at her with a smirk, the way he always did when she got too bookish. "Well," she continued. "That's the pitch. The higher the frequency-"

"The higher the note. I get it! That's not too hard." He said amazed.

She smiled at him, glad that they were finally making some progress. Freddy beamed back at her. "You should smile more often, Tink," He observed very simply, and she noted that it was her first smile that day.

She broke eye contact and tapped lightly on a cymbal, trying to regain concentration. "So, hem, frequency…It is given by the velocity of the wave, of which the formula is…" Freddy, next to her, was shaking his head lightly, a smirk on his face. "What?" She asked, turning toward him again.

"Afraid to lose too much time, Hathaway?" He asked. His voice sounded normal, but she knew that he only called her Hathaway out of bitterness.

"Freddy, you know that we need to stay on track." She said apologetically in a kind and warm voice. She gave him the tiniest of smiles.

"Yes, I know." He agreed. He couldn't resist the look in her brilliant dark eyes when she was trying to convince him. "So, velocity equals?"

Her smile grew the smallest bit. "Equals square root of tension over 'mu', which is a Greek letter. It is the symbol of mass over area. So if you want to know the velocity of the wave you create with a drum, you need to know the tension of the surface, its mass, which is basically its weight, and its area, how big it is."

"It doesn't sound that hard." He said, smiling.

Now it was Summer's turn to smirk knowingly. "Good, because now we need to solve some problems. You need to know how to apply the theory."

"Are you implying that I know the theory?" He asked, smirking as well.

"I told you, Freddy," She said teasingly, getting up and starting to head back to the library. "You are smarter than most people realize."

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	4. Chapter 4

_**Author Note:**_Sorry for the ridiculously long delay, but my life has been so frenetic right now that I truly had no time for this. I have the story all typed and everything, but I usually double check the chapters before updating the story and I couldn't find the time to do it. I sincerely apologize. Also, some parts of this story might seem quite unrealistic, OCC, or just improbable: I am sorry, but I would like to stay true to the way I originally planned it, so please deal with me. It is also my first story (second fan fiction, but the other one was a one-shot). Anyway, here you are. Please review and I promise I'll be more prompt.

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"And what forms atoms?"

"Electrons, protons and neutrons," Freddy answered, barely repressing a yawn. Summer had been questioning him for the last three hours, and he could not stand another second of that agony. The most annoying part was that even if he had answered correctly to almost every single question, at first nearly shocking Summer and now barely receiving a reaction at all_**,**_ she kept going on and asking about the same topic over and over again. It was already the fourth time that he had been asked about subatomic particles.

Summer, composedly seated (and gradually sinking) in a massive armchair, book in her lap, searched the pages for another question. Freddy, however, sitting on the carpet with his legs crossed, toying with a chess-set in front of the fireplace, had completely different intentions. "Hey, Tink."

"Hmm?" She answered, not even looking up from her immaculate chemistry book, turning its pages more and more frenetically. "Here, what's electrical current?"

"A flood of electrons," He answered automatically. He could recite that book backwards by now. "Listen, wanna play?"

She looked up to see the chess board ready, all the pieces in their proper spot, prepared to battle each other. "No," She replied curtly, turning back to the tome.

"C'mon, I know all of that stuff. Atoms, electrons and protons, electricity, poles, magnetism, everything. Can't we take a break?" He pleaded.

"Freddy, I don't know how to play, therefore, let's stick to chemistry, shall we?"

"You don't know how to play chess? Are you serious?" That was quite surprising. Chess sounded very Summer-like, all that strategy and concentration seemed to suit her type of game much more than Freddy's.

"No, I don't. Would you stop being so annoyingly shocked and focus, please?" She replied, a little bitterly.

"How about this," Freddy said, a crooked smirk on his face. "We stop this chemistry review right now and I teach you how to play."

Summer looked up to Freddy and considered briefly: he was, indeed, prepared for the quiz, and she certainly wasn't having much fun studying. Besides, chess seemed to be rather fascinating. "Ok," She said, smiling and sitting on the ground on the opposite side of the board. "Teach me."

Her tone sounded rather challenging, but Freddy was too amazed at how quickly she had been persuaded. "Ok, these are the puns," he started explaining, pointing at the pieces as he named them. "They move only straight ahead one square at a time but take prisoners diagonally. And their first move can be two squares, if you want. Then you have the rooks that can move ahead and backwards and sideways for as many squares as you want; the knights move in L-shapes; the bishops move diagonally. Then you have the queen, which can move any direction any number of squares, and the king, any direction but just one square at a time. The goal is to trap the other king, it's not too hard, but requires a little practice. Ready?"

"Sure," She said with a smile.

"White goes first," He said, waiting for her first move.

Summer, who had the white pieces, turned the board around as to have black. Freddy chuckled and moved one of his puns. She mirrored him, not really knowing how to start attacking his king. He moved a bishop.

"Check." Summer looked up questioningly. "It means that if you don't move your king, I'll win," Freddy clarified.

She turned back to the board and Freddy couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked, silent and concentrated, biting her lower lip while trying to escape such an early defeat. Her dark eyes were scanning the board, looking for a move that will lead her king to freedom, but she could not find it. She decided to move another pun, slightly pursing her lips.

"Check mate." Freddy declared, moving his queen. "But," he added placing back his piece as well as Summer's pun, and moving another one of hers. "You could have moved this one and it would have blocked me."

"How?" Summer was not getting much of this.

"'Cause I would have never moved my queen there, you would have taken her with your king and I would have lost the best piece," He explained. "The queen is practically the most important piece. You know, 'They say in chess you've got to kill the queen and then you made it.'" He sang. Summer was still looking rather puzzled, and slightly entertained by his musical reference.

"Ok, let's start over. Now, the trick is thinking one step ahead. Every time I move a piece, try to think why I do that. Can that piece take any of yours? And if so how can you escape? Or how can you take mine back? It's not hard, you just need a little practice," Freddy smiled at her encouragingly, and Summer smiled back ever so slightly.

"Fine," She said, putting the pieces back. "Let me try again."

Once again, Freddy moved a pun and Summer did the same, then he moved his bishop. Summer stared at it reflecting, but did not seem to get to any conclusion. With a small frown she looked up at Freddy, mutely asking for a hint. "Well…" He started. He wasn't really good at teaching and did not even know how to begin. He had learned chess more from practice than from explanation, and it came natural to him. "Let's see. Do you remember how bishops move?"

"Diagonally?" She replied tentatively. It was weird how roles had switched and she had become the scholar.

"Right! So, where can my bishop go and take your pieces?" Summer followed the diagonal lines with a finger, pointing what pieces were in danger, and Freddy nodded approvingly. "Good, now, which one of these is more important?" He asked, guiding her to the next move little by little.

"The knight, I think. But I can save him, can't I?"

"Yep, you can." Freddy agreed with a smile. "See, that is kinda the thought process you have to follow every time you move."

Summer looked at him incredulous. "You mean I have to analyze every single move like that?" No wonder a chess match usually took forever.

"Technically," Freddy said, chuckling at her reaction. "But believe me, it will become faster and faster and in the end you won't even think about it." Summer mumbled, unconvinced. "Of course," Freddy said, with a growing smirk. "The only way to improve is to practice several hours a day. You know, this is serious business, we should just go on and play for the rest of the night, and at least one hour every time you're here."

Summer shook her head lightly, beaming amusedly. "Sure, Freddy. Dream on."

But she started putting the pieces back once again and Freddy helped her, lightly brushing her hands while retrieving his pieces. They were both unaware of the lighthearted smiles on their faces.

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	5. Chapter 5

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_**Author Note:**_ Well, here's another one.I must warn you, there is some Spanish in this chapter, so it might result quite annoying for those of you who do not speak such language. However, every word is translated at the end of the chapter, and it's nothing major anyway. Also, in this chapter Freddy might seem out of character, it depends on how you think of him. I gave him the background of a rich kid who has traveled all around the world, I hope that is not in too much contrast with your idea of Freddy Jones.

I also want to thank everybody who reviewed this story and my precedent one: thanks for spending your time telling me what you think, it helps me improve my writing (or at least I like to think so) and it is great to know that you appreciated a chapter. Please keep reviewing!

Enjoy.

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"Remote."

"Hum…Mando a distancia?" Came Freddy's uncertain reply. The following day there was going to be a test on Spanish vocabulary and for the past hour and a half they had been reviewing the most useless terms a student could learn. Summer had been sitting on her usual armchair and Freddy, who at first was in the one facing her, had been restlessly changing spots and was now lying on the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Summer placed a checkmark on her list and moved on. "Armchair."

Freddy yawned. "Butaca. It's the third time you ask."

Summer glared at him. "Español, por favor."

"Sorry." Freddy said, bored out of his mind. "Es la tercera vez que preguntas."

"Porqué tu no lo sabías." She replied matter-of-factly. "Carpet."

"Alfombra." he translated, banging his head against the side of the armchair next to Summer. "Can we stop with Spanish, please?"

She looked at him with her eyebrows raised and he sighed, lying back down. "¿Podemos dejar Español, por favor?" he pleaded.

Summer pondered for a moment, glanced at her list and finally agreed. "Vale. Fine, we'll stop here."

Freddy leaped up, all his energy suddenly regained. "Great! I'll bet we are over-prepared for the test."

"There is no such thing as over-preparation." Summer argued, slightly offended. "Especially with you, Jones."

Freddy shrugged off the remark, and sat on the armchair next to Summer. "Oh please, Tink, I've been incredible, amazing, a prodigy!" he sensationalized. Summer laughed and he smiled at her. "Anyway," he continued with a little more seriousness, "I'm better than you think at Spanish."

"Oh, really?" Summer asked mockingly. "Mr. Rupp does not seem to agree."

Freddy leaned towards her, as if confiding a big secret. "I'll tell you, Tink." He said softly. "What we learn in school, all this vocabulary ad grammar and rules-they're ridiculous. And useless. C'mon," he added at Summer's skeptical look, "Do you honestly believe that you'll need to know how to say remote when you'll get to Spain?"

"Well… Maybe." Summer answered, just for the sake of arguing. "But I won't get to Spain very soon." She added in a lower tone.

"Why not? It's only a nine-hour flight." Freddy observed. "Now, Thailand, that takes forever. I remember this one time, when I was probably seven, and my parents had to go there for business. They thought I'll freak out without them, so they took me with them and it was the longest-"

"Wait, what? You went to Thailand when you were seven?" Summer asked incredulously.

"Yep. I told you, my parents had some business stuff going on. They have always taken me with them, until I started school. Then it was just during spring break or the summer. And sometimes we went skiing during Christmas, especially on the Alps. What?"

Summer had been staring at him, wide-eyed and amazed. "Sum, you alright?" He asked, touching her hand. She blinked and apologized.

"Sorry. It's just-wow, those places must be amazing! Where else have you been?" She asked, eager to know.

"Oh, let's see… My first journey was to Rome, but at that time I couldn't remember anything-"

"How old were you?"

"About three and a half months. My mom had just gotten back to work and she did not want to leave me. Then my dad was able to buy the company from his partner and the Smith & Jones hotels became simply the Jones hotels. And since we had free lodging all over the civilized world, my family started combining business with pleasure: my mom quitted her old job, and we started traveling the world. My first memory is of dad explaining to me that there was a real queen in Buckingham Palace. I think I was three." He glanced at Summer, who was staring at the armrest between the two of them. "Sorry, that's boring. So, what-"

"Oh, no. Continue please." Summer said, looking up at him. "It's so interesting to know about Europe from someone who has been there so many times, rather than just reading about it."

"You have never been to Europe?" Freddy was shocked. He had always assumed Summer to be in a certain way, and now, little by little, he was discovering she was very different.

Summer looked at him curiously. "No, what made you think so?"

"I dunno." Freddy said thoughtfully. He knew the Old Continent wasn't exactly around the corner, but something about Summer had always given him the impression that she was a traveler. Maybe it was the way that, when discussing an issue, she always seemed very well aware that there were many other views on it and they were all valid in their particular context. 'Open-mindedness' was not exactly the word he was looking for, but worked well enough, even though he was not going to try and tell Summer what he meant. "I guessed just because you are very informed about it." Which was not a lie, since she knew almost everything about every major monument in each European capital.

"I just read, Freddy." She replied, but was glad that her knowledge was so extensive.

"So you have never been there?" Summer shook her head apologetically. "Never been to London? Paris? Rome? Dublin? Madrid?"

Summer now looked at him, incredulous and annoyed. "Would you stop, please? Where have you been, instead?"

"Oh, well…" Freddy began, trying to recall. "Let's see. Rome, when I was three years old and then four other times. Paris, at five, six and ten; London, at three then twice again, all summer long. Dublin, for a month the summer before freshman year; Barcelona, three times, Madrid, twice, and another summer in Andalusia. Which is why my Spanish is more than acceptable, despite my grades."

"How did you learn?" She asked. A summer did not quite seem long enough to learn another language.

"Oh, it's easier than you think. You see, there they can obviously speak English, but both my parents can speak Spanish quite fluently, so they forced me to try and do the same. When the only way to know what's going on around you is to understand another language, believe me, you learn it pretty quickly."

"Really? That's impressive. And it's probably the best way to learn languages, just traveling around…" Summer said. "Where else?"

"Oh, Provance. We drove around the south of France for six weeks when I was twelve. Then Florence and the Tuscan countryside; Greece, Athens and most of its major islands. We went to Saint Petersburg and Moscow, to see the tsars' palaces; to Stockholm, then around the Norwegian fjords, reaching the North Pole. This in Europe." Freddy looked at Summer and asked, a little concerned, "Are you sure this is not boring? And that it is not annoying to listen to ramble about it?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, not at all. I'd love to hear more about those trips. Each place sounds so interesting and fascinating…"

Freddy smiled. Summer's eyes were shining with wonder and desire for adventure. It was easy to guess that, as he had been listing the places he had been, she had been dreaming about them as some unreal realm out of her reach. "Hey, Sum."

"What?" She asked softly, still pensive.

"What are you doing the summer of our senior year?" She looked at him confused and a little suspicious. "'Cause, you know, my parents would not mind to have a couple of rooms reserved in their hotels around Europe, a week here, another there…"

Summer was now staring at him completely in shock. Was he serious? "Freddy, I can't take such advantage of your parents' kindness-"

"Oh, please! They would be more than glad to give us a couple spare rooms." He took her hands, impulsive in the excitement of the plan. "We could spend the summer traveling around Europe's major cities, we would have a place to stay everywhere we'd go. It would be perfect." She still looked quite reticent. "Sum, you can't refuse," He said softly. "Don't tell me you don't dream about wandering the world."

"I do, but-" She started in a sad whisper, but was interrupted.

"This is a start, then. You owe this to yourself, Summer. You certainly deserve it more than I do." He added bitterly. But then smiled warmly and asked "What do you say, Tink?"

Summer struggled with herself. "Are you sure that your parents would not mind?" Freddy nodded eagerly.

She was unsure for a moment, only to smile widely back a second later. "Alright," She said, radiant. "But your airplane ticket is on me."

"Oh, c'mon, don't be ridiculous!" Freddy replied with a laugh. "There is no way you're paying for me, clear?"

Summer frowned. "We'll see." She surrendered, scowling mockingly at him.

Freddy laughed at her expression and she joined him. Then, suddenly more serious, she hugged him and whispered against the fabric of his t-shirt "Thank you, Freddy."

Pleasantly surprised, Freddy wrapped his arms around the petite girl and whispered back "De nada, Sum." She laughed softly against his shoulder.

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Some Spanish words and expressions that you'll probably never use

_Mando a distancia: _remote

_Butaca: _armchair

_Español, por favor: _Spanish, please

_Es la tercera vez que preguntas: _it's the third time you ask

_Porqué tu no lo sabías: _because you didn't know it

_Alfombra: _carpet

_¿Podemos dejar Español, por favor?:_ can we stop with Spanish please?

_Vale:_ ok

_De nada:_ you're welcome (literally: of nothing, as in 'there is nothing you should thank me for')

You probably figured some of these out, didn't you?


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author Note**_: Ok, this one might seem very short (and it is), but is still one of my favorites. Actually the whole story came from this scene. I really hope you enjoy it! Also, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to me when you review, so please, please, take a second when you're done reading and let me know what you think. Thank you! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed all teh other chapters of this story too!

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"Check."

Freddy moved his knight where Summer's queen was and took her piece off the chess board, where it joined the several black pieces organized in ranks on the floor next to him. Summer had improved, but not quite enough for their matches to be fair.

"What?!" She exclaimed indignantly. "You can't take my queen!"

"Yes, I can." Freddy replied smirking. That was the first thing she had learned: without the queen, you lose. And how furious she became when she lost!

Summer frowned deeply and concentrated on her next move. Then she smirked and with a twist of her wrist, and the help of one of her rooks, she sent the blameworthy knight flying off the board, lightly hitting Freddy in the chest.

"Ouff!" he overreacted. "Don't throw pieces at me!" He accused her, tossing the white knight back at her.

"Well, don't you take my queen, then!" She rebuked him, catching the knight and throwing it at him once again, and following rapidly with a couple of puns.

Freddy ducked aside to avoid the flying pieces and then leaped at Summer, pinning her down on the floor. "What now, Tink?" He asked her jokingly, with a victorious smirk. Summer smirked as well, and rolled to the side, dragging Freddy along, so that the situation was reversed and she literally had the upper hand. "I don't know," She replied, amused at Freddy's surprised expression. He clearly didn't expect such reaction from her. "What now, Jones?" She asked mockingly. Freddy smirked and swiftly pushed her back on the floor, his ears delighted by her crystalline laughter. They kept rolling around the floor in a twirl of laugh, coming to a stop in front of the fireplace.

Abruptly, a wave of seriousness washed over them, wiping away the playful smiles, silencing the carefree laughs. Summer, who was now hovering over Freddy, felt their gazes lock and her cheeks burning. She was suddenly aware of the heavy rain pouring outside and the heat of the fire beside her, the chessboard abandoned a few feet away and their books still open on the table, the awkwardness of their position and the lighthearted fun of a few seconds ago. And suddenly she was aware that she did not care. She did not care about any of this, about how responsible she was expected to be, how she should have gotten up and resumed studying, how she should have reminded Freddy that they didn't have time for this, that they had a test tomorrow, that they really should have known better. She was so tired of being the conscientious one, she just wanted to enjoy the moment, for a change.

Freddy had been silently waiting for her to stand up and walk away, as at first he thought she would do. But then he had realized her inner struggle between what she was supposed to do and what she desired to do. Watching the changes in emotion in her deep dark eyes, he could almost follow her troubled trail of thoughts, but he would have never expected her to react the way she did.

Summer sighed and gently laid her head on Freddy's chest, one hand a few inches from her own face, on his chest, and the other on his shoulder, her fingers curled ever so slightly to hang onto him. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking in everything about that instant, listening to Freddy's heartbeat. Freddy, shocked and delighted, tentatively stroked her silky hair with one hand. Summer did not flinch away, as he had feared, and he encircled her waist with his other arm, holding her tightly, his hand playing with the ends of her black locks while he caressed her soothingly.

They stayed there, breathing deeply at the same slow pace, until the last cinders in the fireplace died. In that novel darkness, certain that Summer was asleep, Freddy found the courage to plant a single butterfly kiss on top of her head.

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	7. Chapter 7

_**Author Note**_: First of all, thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them.

Once again, slightly odd, but really long (for my standards) chapter. A couple of disclaimers: I do not own Tim Burton's "The Nightmare before Christmas", or Blink 182's "I miss you". I love both of them and I strongly recommend watching the movie and listening to the song. If you know the song, I suggest you play it while reading this chapter (at least from after they watch the movie). Also, the info about Queen Elizabeth I was taken from Wikipedia, which I do not own.

Well, it might be OCC and a little discontinuous, but this is one of my favorite chapters in the whole story, so please enjoy it! I must also tell you that the next chapter is going to be necessary to the plot but not particularly enjoyable nor long. Therefore you should try to enjoy this even more!

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"What Queen reigned during the English Renaissance?"

Freddy reflected for a moment and then exclaimed "Ah-ah! I know this. Elizabeth!"

Indifferent, Summer replied "Exact. And she was the daughter of …?"

"Henry...VI?"

"VIII," She corrected.

"The one with six wives?" Freddy inquired.

"Yes. And, by the way, what happened when he wanted to divorce the first one?" Summer questioned.

"Oh, yeah. The pope did not want him to, so he decided to create his own church, right?"

"Yes," Said Summer, now rather impressed. They had not read much about Henry VIII and that was not in their notes. "Ok, now, what do you know about Shakespeare?"

Freddy was thoughtful for a second and then started summarizing the little information he had. "He was a playwright who lived in London during Elizabeth's reign. He built the Globe theater..." He knew that much because of his visits to the British capital. He raked his brain some more. "He also wrote poems, right?"

Summer nodded. "Sonnets, right."

"Yeah, and...I don't know, what else?"

"Any major plays?" Summer asked, trying to help.

"Sure!" Subconsciously, Freddy started counting them on his fingers as he listed them. "Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, King Lear, the Tempest, the Twelfth Night, Richard III…That's about all I remember."

"Well, that's remarkable," Said Summer, and she truly thought so. She would have never expected him to know that many plays. "Ten out of thirty eight is really good, Freddy."

Freddy bowed theatrically, which seemed quite appropriate to the subject. Then added in a more practical tone "Alright, but I don't know much about his life."

Summer smiled at the tiniest hint of concern that she'd heard in his voice. "That's true. Open to page 375 and start reading." He did so silently and she added "Out loud." She had read somewhere that it helped memory and since then she had always studied in that way.

Freddy groaned but compelled. "William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, a glover and alderman, and Mary Arden, daughter of a farmer. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and his unknown birthday is traditionally observed on the 23rd of April. He was the eldest surviving son. He was probably educated at the King's New School in Stratford, which provided an intensive education in the classics. At the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway-" He stopped reading and looked at up at Summer.

She stared back at him. "What?" She asked, vaguely defensive.

"Hathaway?" He repeated, amused. "You've got a famous last name, Tink."

"Oh, please!" Summer exclaimed, annoyed. "I don't, check the spelling." She pointed out the second 'h' in the name printed on the book.

Freddy shrugged. "It doesn't matter." Then, with a smirk, he added "So, can I call you Anne?"

Summer glared at him with unexpected ferocity. "No." She replied decisively. Just what she needed, something else Freddy could tease her for, right when she thought that he was becoming more mature. Besides, she had always been very defensive of her name.

Freddy's smirk grew a little wider at her pointless anger. "I bet that's your middle name." He said, confidently leaning back on his chair. "Summer Anne Hataway."

Summer cheeks reddened with fury and she noisily slammed her book shut. "Very well, if you're going to be so annoying, I'm done here." But as she was getting up Freddy's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Alright, I'll stop." He said, with sincere eyes. "Just stay."

Summer sat down again. "Fine. Keep on reading, then." She said, her voice still cold but not angry anymore.

Freddy opened the book again, but did not start reading. "Can I ask you something, though?" He said. "Without you getting mad at me?"

Summer sighed. They were never going to finish that paragraph about poor Shakespeare. "Sure," She agreed, exasperated.

"What is your middle name?" Freddy asked, and Summer rolled her eyes. "No, seriously," He added vehemently.

"Why do you care?" She replied.

Freddy smiled innocently. "Just curious."

"Fine." Summer said, visibly annoyed. "It's Sally. Now can we please move on?"

But Freddy seemed to have quite different plans. "Sally?" He asked amused. Summer was sure he was going to find a way to mock her somehow. Instead, he gave a single laugh and said "Summer Sally Hataway. I'm Freddy Jack Jones." He seemed to think that would be explanatory.

Summer just stared at him with a blank expression, while Freddy smiled at her. "So?" She asked, puzzled.

Freddy's expression changed to one of surprise. "Are you kidding? Jack and Sally?" Summer shook her head slowly, still staring at him confused. "You don't know who Jack and Sally are?"

"No idea." She was getting quite annoyed by his assumption that she should have known who they were. She couldn't recall any couple of historical personalities, novel characters or even celebrities called like that.

Freddy gave another laugh and finally explained. "They are the characters in Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare before Christmas'". I can't believe you've never seen that movie, it's on TV, like, every single Christmas!"

"I still have no clue what you're talking about." Summer affirmed.

With his trademark crooked smile, Freddy rose from his chair and confidently took Summer's hand, exiting the room with her. He guided her through the great hallways and the majestic rooms, stopping in one smaller than the library, and minimally decorated. Three walls were covered with shelves of DVDs, the fourth with an enormous flat-screen high-definition TV. The only other pieces of furniture were a big, comfortable-looking white couch and a coffee table.

Freddy selected a movie from the shelf and put it in the DVD player, then grabbed the remote and, sitting on the sofa, gestured for Summer to do the same. She sat awkwardly close to him, and Freddy started the movie.

"Freddy, we don't have time for this, we should be stud-" Summer was cut off by Freddy's hushing.

"Now," He whispered, as if he was in a theater. "Don't worry and just watch the movie, alright, Sally?"

Summer made a face at the name, but kept quiet and stared at the screen. The story was actually quite… weird, maybe, but it was also original and surprisingly lyrical, especially for a children's tale. Summer soon found herself fascinated and seemed to recall some passages, figuring out she had probably seen bits and pieces during Christmas time. Freddy, who was simply enjoying for the hundredth time what had become a classic for him, watched Summer's face freely show her emotions, demonstrating her deep participation in the story. It was rather amusing to see her so involved in such a simple story, but something in its magic was always able to strike people's mind, and Freddy was glad to see that Summer's apparently rational, ice-cold heart could still be warmed by a kids' tale.

"So?" He asked her as the end credits started running. "What do you think?"

Summer stared at the screen a second longer, then turned towards Freddy and beamed. "I loved it! It is so…poetic would probably be the right word. The story is lovely, and the characters! Jack is so charismatic and lively, for how paradoxical that may sound."

Freddy smirked. "Well, qualities that come with the name."

Summer chuckled, shaking her head amused. Then she looked back at him and gave him her tiny-but-significant smile. "Thank you."

Freddy beamed back. "My pleasure, Sally." And then his smiled broadened, and he added "I've got something else for you." He got up and, once again, took Summer's hand and guided her through the enormous house, making her feel like a child in a maze hanging onto a friendly hand that would lead her to the right place. They arrived to Freddy's room, where he produced, from the general chaos, a CD. He put it in the stereo and hit a couple of buttons to get to the right track.

As the first, low notes started to play, he offered his hand to Summer. "Want to dance?"

Surprised, she put her hand in his, somewhat clumsily. Freddy smiled and placed her other hand on his shoulder, then positioned his on her waist. They started moving slowly from side to side, Summer feeling slightly awkward, Freddy with the smallest, confident and reassuring smile lingering on his lips. As the lyrics started, he sang along in a whisper, his breath tickling Summer's skin.

"_Hello there, the angel from my nightmare, the shadow in background of the morgue, the unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley, we can live like Jack and Sally if we want, where you can always find me, and we'll have Halloween on Christmas, and in the night we'll wish this never ends, we'll wish this never ends…"_ As the song continued, Freddy's voice faded into silence. All of a sudden it seemed to him that the moment should not have been ruined by words. He just fixed his eyes on Summer, who looked petite and fragile in his arms, and so lovely nervous.

_Where are you and I'm so sorry, I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight, I need somebody and always this sick strange darkness comes creeping on so haunting every time and as I stared I counted the webs from all the spiders, catching things and eating their insides, like indecision to call you and hear your voice of treason, Will you come home and stop this pain tonight, stop this pain tonight…_

Moving at the slow rhythm, they got imperceptibly closer, and their formal waltz position became a loose embrace; Freddy's hands rested on either side of Summer's waist, her fingers tangled behind his neck. Under Freddy's intent gaze, Summer's cheeks had become faintly redder than the usual ivory shade and her eyes were now glued on the floor.

_Don't waste your time on me you're already the voice inside my head, I miss you, miss you…_

Freddy's right hand left its place and reached for a stray lock of hair that had fallen in front of Summer's eyes. The instinctively kind gesture caused her to look up and their gazes locked. Suddenly everything around them died away, becoming indefinite and insignificant; each other's eyes were all they were aware of, Freddy's cerulean pools and Summer's onyx gems. All they could feel was each other's closeness, warm and tensioning, their faces only inches apart…

_I miss you, miss you…_

And then, as the last chords faded, the moment shattered. They both looked away, unsuccessfully trying to conceal the embarrassment. Their embrace broke, their hands quickly recoiled, as if burnt by the other. Both desperately avoided meeting each other's eyes, not knowing that in them they would have only found regret for the moment now lost. Just as frantically they tried to break the silence that was pressing against their eardrums, more conspicuous with every second that passed.

"We should get back to Shakespeare," Summer finally said in a low, dim tone.

"Yeah," Freddy agreed weakly.

They silently made their way back, careful not to brush hands, and studied, quieter than ever, until it was time for Summer to go. They exchanged few, awkward words and kept avoiding eye-contact, afraid that their eyes would betray their emotions.

But that night neither of them could fall asleep: the events of the evening were playing over and over in front of their eyes, eventually turning into bittersweet dreams filled with missed opportunities.

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I truly hope you liked it! Please, let me know what you think, reviews make my day!!


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author Note**_: Well, here comes the slightly boring part. But it gets better in the next chapter, I promise! Please cope with me and read this for the sake of the story. Enjoy!

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"Soh Cah Toa?"

"Yep. Soh Cah Toa." Summer replied, smirking at Freddy's expression. "You see: Sine equals opposite over hypotenuse," She explained, pointing at the triangle on the textbook. "Take the initials and you have Soh. Same for Cosine, adjacent over hypotenuse."

"Hmm," Freddy pondered, a thoughtful expression on his face. One that you would have never expected before the start of the tutoring sessions. "Tangent is what, opposite over adjacent?"

Summer nodded, with a tiny smile. "Right. Now let's tackle these problems, and then we're done. Number 47: if side a of a triangle is 9 inches long-"

"Wait! So is Sine just the name of the angle or what? How does that work?" Freddy had been getting better and better, but lately Summer went just a little too fast.

"No, Sine is just a mathematical function. To find the angle you need to take the inverse on your calculator. Now about the problem-" She tried to continue, only to be interrupted again.

"Can I borrow your calculator?"

"What? No!" Summer replied in an offended tone. Had he not learned anything from her? "Freddy, you know that materials are important and you need your stuff. Besides we might need to set it in the right mode, so go get it!" She commended.

Freddy got up with an overdramatic sigh and dragged himself out of the room. They were both exhausted and Summer couldn't wait to go home and relax for a while. At the same time, though, she had to admit that tutoring was getting incredibly simpler: Freddy seemed to understand most topics fairly easily and soon he wouldn't need her help anymore. She flipped through the pages of his notebook to look at the latest practice problems he had done and check them for recurrent mistakes, when she noticed something. Sticking out the back there were a bunch of messy looking papers, fliers, notes, and other random pages. But among some of them were marked in red pen, in a handwriting that wasn't Freddy's or Summer's. Wasn't that last week's quiz? Summer quickly turned it over to see the grade, the ultimate proof of efficacy of the study sessions. An A minus. Which was surprisingly good for Freddy's standards… She flipped through a couple more pages, checking two weeks ago, three, a month, the beginning of the quarter… Nothing lower than a B minus. The last test dated back to five days after Freddy had asked her about tutoring, and it was a more than acceptable B.

Standing up, Summer quickly gathered her things, scrawled something on the test and marched through the hallway.

"Hey, Sum!" She heard Freddy call when she was in the foyer, but she just slammed the door behind her and headed home through the pouring rain.

Freddy hurried down the stairs, puzzled. Why would Summer leave when they still had to go through all those stupid problems? This didn't make any sense at all. But when he opened the door she had already disappeared from sight. Still confused, he shrugged and headed back to the library, deciding he would call her later to discover what was going on. When he reached the desk whee his books were, he immediately changed his mind: he knew perfectly well what was going on. On the table, lying over the mess of papers, was one of his tests, a single world written in huge scarlet letters all across the page. Summer's neat handwriting, in the rage, had become a blood-colored scribble, but the accusation was still perfectly legible. 'Liar'.

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"Maybe he had his reasons…"

Summer glared at Katie with such ferocity that she muttered an apology.

"You know he didn't. What reason could he possibly have had to waste my time?" Summer asked rhetorically, walking to her locker.

"I dunno. I am just saying that maybe there is something-" Katie tried to reply, only to be abruptly interrupted.

"There's nothing!" Summer exclaimed, exasperated. "Not one possible explanation that would make me forgive him! Gosh, Katie, he just wasted two whole months of my life, killed me with stress and responsibilities I absolutely did not need and you're ready to justify him just like that?"

Even though she was her best friend, Summer managed to really scare Katie sometimes. And right because she was her best friend, the bass player knew perfectly well when to stop arguing with the fierce band manager. Freddy Jones was in big trouble and Katie wouldn't have traded places with him for a million dollars.

"So what are you going to do, now?" Katie asked, opening the padlock and shoving her books inside.

"What do you mean? There is nothing I should do." Summer fought with the combination and kicked her locker.

"Well, you're still going to see him, you know? School, band practices, all that good stuff." Katie watched amused as her friend battled the lock. "Want help?"

"No." She tried the combination once again. "I am just going to ignore him. And if he only dares-"

"What?"

Summer had stopped, staring at her opened locker with a shocked expression on her face, her mouth open and her eyes wide with surprise. The contents of her locker had disappeared and had been replaced by what seemed the most accidental collection of items: postcards from Europe were hanging from colored ribbons attached to the top of the locker; a bunch of familiar-looking novels, among which Summer recognized some of her favorites, orderly filled most of the shelves; at her eye-level, sat a cd by Blink 182, a dvd of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", some very random flowers, various chess pieces, and, most visible of all, two drumsticks with carved initials. FJ.

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"Where are my books?"

Freddy turned away from his locker, unperturbed by Summer's harsh tone. "Well, hello to you, Summer," He said optimistically, but did not dare to smile.

She glared at him even harder. "Cut it out Jones!" She replied, a little too loud. "Give me my books back."

He shrugged. "I don't have them," He said in a casual tone.

Summer's eyes were ablaze with anger, and she was struggling to control herself, wanting nothing more than hitting Freddy. "Liar!" She accused him, her tone dangerously growing in volume. "You are lying again! I can't believe the nerve you ha-"

"Alright, I have your books," Freddy cut her out, before she could get them both in trouble. "But not here."

"Not here?" Summer repeated incredulous. "What the hell did you do with them?! I swear, if they're ruined-"

"Don't worry, they're safe and sound," He said, rolling his eyes. Summer gave him a deadly glance for mocking her. "They're at my place, ok?"

Summer crossed her arm. "Sure, ok. Go get them."

He stared at her disbelieving. "Are you kidding? I can't miss school to go get your books."

"Really?" Her tone was drenched in sarcasm. "I bet they wouldn't care, now that you're a straight-As student."

"Sum, plea-"

"Oh, no. Don't you even start," She interrupted him. "What am I supposed to do without books? Did you think about that, before stealing them?"

"I didn't steal them!" Freddy replied, exasperated and offended. "You can have them back tonight, alright?"

"Oh, how very kind of you!" She said mockingly. "And until then?"

Freddy turned back to his locker and searched trough the mess inside it. "There," he said, handing her a notebook. "You can take notes on that. I'm sure your teachers will be more than understanding."

Summer could not disagree, she knew teachers would not have said anything to her. "Fine," She accepted, a little less furious. "But I want my books back tonight."

"Alright!" He replied smiling. Summer glared at him, but said nothing more and walked away.

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	9. Chapter 9

_**Author Note:**_ So! Final chapter, I can't believe it! I really hope you enjoyed the story, please remember to review and let me know what you think about it. I probably won't be writing for a while, but we'll see. It depends whether I am particularly inspired by an idea. Anyway, please review, and thanks for reading my fiction.

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Ding-dong.

Once again, Summer was standing in the pouring rain in front of Freddy's house, trying to find shelter on the front porch while waiting for him to open. Not only she had been robbed of her precious books, but now she had to get soaked to get them back. How marvelous. The sensation of deja-vu was even more irritating, making her feel like, despite everything that had happened, she was back to square one, as if she had just surrendered to Freddy's fake pleas once again. And she could not stand the thought of committing the same mistake that had led to so much stress and wasted time, that had made her feel used and stupid and naïve. She pushed those thoughts away, shaking her head and ringing the bell again. Finally, the door opened and Freddy greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hey, Sum," he said too optimistically.

Summer fought the urge of punching him and simply glared at him. "Books," She ordered, determined to make this as short as possible.

Freddy's smile fell, but he still replied cheerfully, as if his good moods could be contagious. "Sure, come on in."

Unwillingly, she entered the familiar hall, while Freddy rapidly walked up the stairs to get her belongings. She decided to wait, standing stiff beside the door, ready to leave for good. Freddy returned surprisingly quickly, carrying an impressively tall stack of books and notebooks, which Summer deliberately decided not to help with. She waited for him to finish stomping down the staircase and reach her, only then she motioned to take them.

"Want help carrying them?" Freddy offered, kindly.

"No," was Summer's sharp reply as she seized the stack. Inevitably, her hands brushed Freddy's sending sparks of electricity through both their bodies. She ignored it and tried to balance the books, failing miserably and making the fall on the white marble floor.

"Damn," she muttered, getting on her knees and starting to get everything back together. Freddy knelt beside her and tried to help, setting the books and papers on a small table next to the door. Summer glared at him, trying to avoid any hand contact, hating him for making her feel clumsy and stupid. She just wanted to get out of there and forget Freddy Jones ever existed. Once again she tried to get the pile, wavering under its weight. Without asking, Freddy took most of the books from the top and opened the door.

"I don't need your help!" Summer snapped at him, trying to get back the rest of the books.

Freddy looked at her surprised and slightly offended. "Excuse me?"

"What are you trying to do? Make me feel even more foolish? Do you think I can't handle carrying my own books?" She yelled. All her anger and frustration that she had kept bottled up was exploding like a tornado that threatened to destroy everything on its path.

"Sum, I'm trying to help." Freddy's voice, meant to be calm, came out cold as ice.

Summer let the books fall back on the table. "Stop calling me Sum, and Tink, and Sally, and whatever else! Do you assume that your 'help' will fix everything? Do you really think I can forget so easily?"

Freddy dropped his stack of books too and leaned towards Summer, with a challenging expression. "What should you forget?"

"That you lied to me! That you-" She started shouting at him, but Freddy interrupted, his voice louder, annihilating hers.

"I didn't lie to you! My god, Summer, you know I didn't!" He yelled in exasperation.

"You said you were failing all your classes! You said you needed at least a C! How is that not lying?" She yelled back, furious.

"Are you joking? My highest grade was a D minus!" He was incredulous at her accuses.

"Right, and five days later you got a B! How is that possible?" Summer snapped back.

"Maybe I'm a quick learner, or you are a good tutor. But I did not lie!"

Summer's rage grew with his denials. "Yes, you did! You never told me your grades got better!" She yelled.

"You never asked!" He replied in the same volume.

She shot a deadly glance at his pointless remark. "You made me think I was still needed!" And she noticed that somehow she did not mean academically.

"And you were! My grades would have sunk!" Freddy made an attempt to lower his voice. "Summer, I needed your help."

She was unable to see the sincerity in his eyes. "You're lying again! You didn't, you were just playing with me! All along, it was nothing more than a waste of my time!"

"Nothing more?" Freddy asked in a low tone. "Do you really regret every moment we spent together?"

Summer was slightly taken aback, but recoiled quickly. "You lied once, how do I know you did not lie every one of those moments?" Her voice was rising dangerously. "How do I know you were not pretending or making fun of me? How can I trust you?" Freddy tried to interject but she stopped him "And you know what the worst part is? You did not even think about apologizing! You had no reason to do what you have done, no excuse and you did not even say sorry, I can't bel-"

Her words died. In an instant, Freddy had closed the distance between them, kissing her fully on the mouth, still opened in mid-sentence. His hands were holding her face, partly because of fear she would flinch away as soon as he touched her, partly because of the physical need he had to feel her close to him. In the briefest of moments, he kissed her with mind-blowing passion, his lips moving with expert ardor over hers, clearing her mind of any thought, erasing any bitter feeling from her heart. He stunned her, gave her no time to react.

And then, suddenly, it was over. His hands released her burning cheeks, his mouth abandoned her sweet crimson lips, he stepped back, expecting the worst.

It never came. A million questions were crowding Summer's mind, but in their race to her mouth they choked her voice and none of them was spoken.

Looking straight into Summer's confused eyes, Freddy explained. "That's my reason. I couldn't apologize because I'm not sorry for what I've done. Yes, I robbed you of your time, but I did not waste it, and even if you're mad at me you should admit that much. If I had the chance of doing it again, I would, and I still wouldn't be sorry, because each single second I spent with you was worth all of this. I know it's selfish, but I couldn't help it. Having you around was so… amazing, I could not let you go that soon. On the other hand, I could not fail, so I improved my grades, even if I knew it was a risk. Sum, I know what I did to you was terrible, and I understand that your trust in me is gone forever, but try to comprehend that I had a reason, indeed. I became addicted to your presence so quickly it was unbelievable even for me. And yet, I could not bear the thought of everything going back to the way it was, I needed some time to get closer to you. I know that it should have been your choice and not mine, but I was afraid you would have chosen not to stay, and I could not risk losing you. I hope you will be able to forgive me, someday."

Summer was astonished. "You did all of this… because you like me?"

Freddy laughed lightly and somewhat bitterly to himself, anticipating her angry reaction. "Actually, I think I'm in love with you, Tink." He said, his eyes on the ground.

Summer instinctively leaped forward, wrapping her arms around Freddy's neck. Standing on tiptoe, she reached for his lips, kissing him softly and timidly for only a second. She pulled away and looked at him shyly.

"I think I am in love with you too," she whispered, blushing.

Freddy smiled and then leaned over her, kissing her again. His hands ran to her body, one positioning on the small of her back, the other tangling in her hair, both ardently pulling Summer into the kiss. All the tension, all the electricity that had been in the air between them for the past few months was finally released, transformed into a passion that seemed to be a thousand times stronger than before as their lips locked together and moved with eagerness and fervor. Freddy's lips trailed away from Summer's, leaving a path of kisses on her ivory neck. She gasped softly as a shiver ran down her spine, while her fingers locked into his blond hair. As Freddy's ardent lips reached the base of her neck, Summer felt her knees becoming weak and giving way. Searching for support behind her, she backed into the table where her books were and stumbled on it. The volumes fell nosily to the ground and Summer tripped over them, ending up on the floor, dragging Freddy down at her side. They both burst out laughing, Summer reddening at her clumsiness, Freddy still elated at how things had turned out.

When the laughter eventually faded, Summer curled up next to Freddy, closing her eyes.

"Thanks for wasting my time, Freddy Jones." She whispered against his shoulder.

Freddy smiled.

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